Driving mechanism for mechanical toys and the like



my. 27, w23.

F.- MVR-@HELL DRVING M'ECHANISYI FOR MECHANICAL TOYS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 20, 1921.

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of slot 23, during the tensioning out the travel along the support upon -which itis placed, he it a table or floor.v

To tension the spring 13 to. drive the toy a predetermined distance, l provide the trame or support 7 With an elongated slot 32 t Fig. 3), having index marks 33, 34; and 35 adjacent thereto, indicating in this instance ten feet, twenty teet and thirty feet. To pro pel the device ten feet (for instance), the :trame la will Abe moved to index mai-lr 33, which will mean that spring 13 has been placed under sulicient tension to rotate the gears and Wheel sufliciently to move the toy ten feet. The same would apply to propel the device twenty or thirty feet.

ln the form ot my invention. illustrated in Figs.v 5 and 6, l provide a. spring 36 which is connected to a rotatable slidably mounted idle shaft 37 by a' cord 38, said sha'lt 3? being vslidably mounted in slots 39 in the sides ot the body member 40. The shaft 37 carries a gear il to engage a smaller gear on the axle 43 for the Wheels 4A. The spring 36 will be placed under tension by means et a cord t5 Wrapped around shaft 37. The action oil this form o't my invention will be the same as described for the 'form illustrated in Fig. l, the .difference being that I havey omitted the raclrmechanism -to rotate ydriving xvheel 4-1 and substituted the cord tai, which, when drawn toward. the lett in Fig. 5, Will rotate shaft 37, a'lter having just drawn its gear Lil awayv from gear 4:2, and stretch spring 36 or place same under tension. c i To maintain rod E at all times in retracted position, excepting when pulled out, l employ a small spring 46, located Within spring 13 and attached at lone end to casing 7 and at the opposite end to rod 25 (seeFig. 2). Then spring 13 is extended., spring 46 will be extended, but when the pull upon rod 25 is released, said spring 4:6 will' return rod. 25 to retracted position. By this means rod will be prevented from extending bevond the end of the :trame 7 when the toy is in motion, or at anyr time excepting when the rod is pulled out to tension spring 13. Ot

course, it will be understoodthat my improved driving mechanism can be applied to or adapted for use in connection with various types of mechanical toys, and that the details of construction can be varied to suit requirements. Equivalents for the sliding tree Wheel action at 23er 39 or other parts constructed and adapted to perform the proper andl desired functions may be employed as Well.

llaving described my intention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1S 1 l. ln. a toy, a traine, Wheels carried thereby, a carrier slidable on said trame, a spring to actuate the carrier, gears associated With the Wheels and actuated by said carrier, means to place said spring under tension, and means to indicate When said spring has been tensioned to actuate the carrier to op crate said Wheels a desired number et revolutions, whereby the toy will be propelled a predetermined distance.

9.. ln a toy, a frame having an elongateda second driven gear meshing with` the iirst driven gear, an extensible spring means to extend said spring to place same under tension, Ytree-Wheeling means associatedy with said gearsto allow the second driven gear to remain stationary While the said tensioning` means is pulled to put the said spring under tension vand cause the irst gear to tuin the second driven gear when said spring is retracting and means operated by the second driven gear.

4;. In a driving mechanism, a frame, a rotatable driven gear supported by said frame, a second driven 4gear meshing with thevtirst driven gear, an extensible spring, means to extend said spring to place same under tension, 'treo-Wheeling means associated with said gears to alloiv the second driven gear to remain stationary While said 'tensioning means is pulled to put the said spring under tension and cause the first driven gear to turn` the second driven when said spring is retracting and means operated by the second driven gear, and a releasable latch to prevent rotation ot the driven gear. until the actuation thereof is desired.-

5. ln a driving mechanism, a frame. a rotatable `driven gear slidably supported by said frame, second driven gear normally meshing with the .first driven gear, anv extensible'spring, means to extend the spring to place same under tension, means. associated with the spring to move the first driven gear out of mesh vvvith the second ydriven gear While said spring is being tensioned, and to cause the firstl drivengear to again mesh With the second driven gear at ter said spring has been placed under tension.

6. In a driving mechanism, a casing, a slidable rack larried by the casing, a rotatable gear supported by the casing and in engagcnient with said rack, a spring connected with the raclr, a driven gear arranged to be actuated by the gear engaging said rack, tensioning mea-ns to move the rack to place said spring under tension, free-Wheeling means associated with said gears to allow the driven gear to remain stationary While the said tensioning means is pulled to put said spring under tension and canse the rack operated gear to turn the driven gear when said spring is reti-acting and means operated by the driven gear.

7. in a driving mechanism, a casing, a slidable rack carried by the casing, a. rotatable gear supported by the casing and in engagement ,rith said rack, aspring connected with the rack, a driven gear arranged to be actuated by the :gea-r engaging said rack, tensioning means to move the rack to place said spring under tension, free-Wheeling means associated with said gears to allow the driven gear to remain stationary While the said tensioning means is pulled to put said spring under tension and canse the rack operated gear to turn lthe driven gear when said spring is retracting and means operated by the driven gear, and a releasable latch to prevent rotation of the driven gear until the actuation thereof is desired.

8. In a driving mechanism, a casing, a slidable rack carried by the casing, a rotatable gear slidably supported by the casing and in engagement With said rack, a spring connected with said rack, a driven gear ar ranged to normally mesh with the gear engaging said rack, tensioning means to move the raclr to place said spring under tension and to move the gear meshing with said rack out or' engagement with the driven gear while said spring is being tensioned, said movable gear being` caused to mesh with the driven gear When said tensioning means is released, and means operated by the driven gear.

9. In a driving mechanism, a main spring, intermeshing gears actuated thereby, means connecting said spring and one of id gears, means to place said spring under tension and releasably connected therewith, and means to return the spring tensioning means to normal position after the spring has been placed under tension.

l0. n a driving mechanism, a train oi? intermeshing gears, a spring to actnate the train of gears, a bodily movable driving gear, means connecting the spring and driving gear, projecting tensioning neans associated with said spring, said drivi gear being arranged to be moved ont of mesh with its associated gear after said spring has been Wound up.

FRANK ALLEN MTCHELL. 

